Sister to Miko
by Tish-chan
Summary: This fic begins before Suzaku no Miko is discovered. Re-telling of entire story (I hope). Trust me, you'll find this very different from what you probably expect... Chapter 6 up and previous chapters edited!
1. Kounan Palace

Sister to Miko Chapter One

Sister to Miko

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Category: Fushigi Yuugi Fanfic OC

Warnings: None 

Author's Note: This fic begins in Kounan before the Suzaku no Miko is discovered. You'll find that not everything is as predictable as you'd think... Also, I'm changing some details about the story, so just play along.

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Chapter One: Kounan Palace

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*Kiku*

"Out, out, out!" The crude, fat man ushered us out of the carriage brusquely.

We were a group of girls who had been stolen from our homes. Well, for most of us, anyway.

You see, our emperor in China was eighteen, the age to get married, but hadn't chosen a wife yet. Every other person who wanted to get rich quick was transporting large amounts of girls to the capital to try and attract him, hoping to blackmail the new empress, though all their efforts were in vain. In this way, our emperor unknowingly created torture for us (though he was a good emperor).

I looked at the bunch of us. We lived about half an hour's horse ride away from the capital, and most of us had been from fairly well-to-do families, but now the girls who surrounded me were pale and sickly from days of waiting in the nauseating cart, moaning and whining. How the men (who had captured us) expected us to even make it as trial concubines was a mystery to me.

Yeah, I knew a lot of what was going on in the palace. Not everyone did, though...

We looked up at the palace. The girls around me livened up, oohing and aahing. My expression was bored but I was a little relieved, knowing that soon, I would be out of there...

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"Clean, fresh water!" Harushi, the skinny girl next to me, splashed around in the tub, like the rest of us, disbelieving of what surrounded us.

The bony old woman who was supposed to inspect the concubines-to-be, thought that the three of us had the potential to be the emperor's future wife. She paid the greedy cart-driver and let us wash and dress up.

I used to be a little ashamed of my body, as I had slight muscles and a light tan from exercise. Now, after practically starving for three days, I had a slimmer figure. The other girls who had once had slim figures were now skin and bones. Moral of the story: you may get more than what you wish for.

"Okay," said Madam Niyodo once we were sitting around her in brand new undergarments, "this is the palace, not your local fishmarket. There are rules and proprieties to be observed. You have to do up your hair. There will be maids around, and if you need help, just call one over. Remember this golden rule about your hair: never leave your hair down or plain without any accessories until you retire to bed. NEVER. This applies to all females."

"Hai."

"Now I'll show you around the only three areas you can go to, then you can explore a little until bedtime. Half past six, every night. If you are not in the concubine chamber by then, it's off with your heads!"

"Hai."

She led us around the three blocks we could roam freely: East, West and Middle; all squares of rooms with a garden in the centre. We could not harm the insects, plants or fish and had to leave everything in the same condition as it had been before we touched it.

Then she showed us to the concubine chambers in the middle block and introduced us to the other five concubines in the hallway.

Aki was quiet. Hiromi was the fairest of us all, from what I could tell, and was most likely to seduce the emperor. Fumiko seemed cheerful and outgoing, sort of like Haru. Suguru looked a little grumpy, but Fumiko told me it was because she had been having a cold. Lastly was Moriya, the eldest at eighteen and slightly bossy. I realised that I was the youngest of the eight (I was fourteen though I looked about sixteen), but probably the most mature.

Madam Niyodo left us with a "behave yourselves" and all of them secretly grinned (except Suguru).

"Did she show you the emperor's chamber? In the North Court?" Fumiko pried.

"No," Yanagida answered truthfully.

"Hiromi almost saw in once!" Fumiko piped happily.

"Almost lost her head too," Moriya berated. I secretly agreed.

"Does anyone know what the emperor looks like?" I asked.

"No..." she said, almost mournfully.

"I heard he's really handsome," Hiromi said, looking in her mirror and tossing her hair.

"Apparently, he's got some guests in the North Court," Aki informed us shyly.

"We're not allowed to go into any of the rooms, though," Fumiko added.

"So we can only see the gardens?" Harushi's shoulders sagged.

"Yeah... they're going to keep us here until nine concubines are gathered," Fumiko said sympathetically.

"I'll go look around the gardens," I said, leaving the rest to gossip. "I still have fifteen minutes..."

I sat on a rock in the West Court and looked at myself in the pond. My hair was in an elaborate structure fastened by a million pins, I was made up heavily (actually, I was supposed to have been, but I wiped a great deal of it off) and wearing an intricately embroidered dress. This was nice, like for a second, but I really wanted to get home. I just had to find the North Court, but I had to find the right time too...

Just then, a bee darted around in front of my nose. With a sharp gasp, I lost my balance and wobbled around with that awful dread in my stomach; the one that tells you you're going to fall. This was going to be a great first day in the pond... 

Suddenly, a hand caught mine and pulled. I came face to face with a beautiful lady who looked about five years my senior. So Moriya wasn't the oldest after all...

"Thank you Miss... you're strong!" I thanked her after half a minute of hyperventilation. Before she could reply, I noticed her loose green hair and added, "I don't know if Madam Niyodo told you, but you had better get your hair up quickly or you might get into trouble. Here!" I took a couple of pins out of my hair and passed it to her.

She smiled as she took them, though it seemed more like a smile of amusement than one of gratitude. "I'll be fine, thanks," she said.

She was asking for trouble! "Please," I almost begged. "I know you're a kind person, arigatou again for saving me. I don't want to see you get into trouble. Do you want me to help you?"

"No, no," she jerked her head away, "I won't be in trouble, but thank you for being so -"

Her voice was cut off halfway with a loud "dong, dong, dong", like the sound of the bells in the monastery. I realised it probably was bedtime. 

"I have to go, and you'd better get going too," I left her a last reminder before gathering up my skirts and rushing off. 


	2. The Trial

Sister to Miko Chapter Two

Sister to Miko

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Chapter Two: The Trial

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*Kiku*

Three days. I'd spent three whole days in the palace, when I could have been home already. I had to find him or be stuck here forever, with this bunch of ditzy girls and their incessant chatting. I used to like gossiping and everything, but when I grew older, realisation of my social status made me feel awkward when doing so.

"Ki-chan!" Harushi called excitedly. Surprise, surprise, she'd hit it off well with Fumiko and now they were like two peas in a pod.

"What is it now?"

"We - we're going to get chosen!" Fumiko jumped up and down. Good gods, she was fifteen - would she act her age? I asked myself for the twenty-seventh time.

"How do you mean?" I asked, ignoring her bouncing.

"We've got - a ninth..." she panted.

Just then, Madam Niyodo burst in the door. "This is the concubine chamber, Yumi." We all turned to look at the plain girl in green in the doorway.

We introduced ourselves as the first five had to us.

"All of you, make Yumi at home, and dress up properly. The choosing will be tonight. *Kiku*..." she swiped at my face.

I felt like protesting, "so much makeup disguises our looks completely!" but knew that I'd never be out of here if this kept going on. "Okay, okay, I'll put on some more..." I grumbled and shuffled into my room.

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"Remember, girls, if you're not chosen tonight, you'll be pushed back into the South Court, where there are already forty-three concubines moping around. If you are chosen, you'll be free to roam anywhere but the South Court for a month until his decision. Make your choice wisely."

I tried to blink under all the powder, and couldn't resist wiping some off.

Madam Niyodo shot me a glare but my pleading gaze softened her a little, and she turned back to the rest. "Hold yourselves with grace," she posed artificially. "Our emperor worships beauty and elegance."

We were led into the North Court. I knew this was where the real court was, where discussions were held in matters of utmost importance to the country. Where I could be rescued...

"Keep your heads down, girls," Madam Niyodo said through smiling teeth.

"Hail to the emperor!" we knelt and bowed.

"Thank you, Madam Niyodo," a kind voice said. Madam Niyodo blushed, making me wonder just how handsome this young emperor was. Okay, I peeked a little. I also saw the shoes next to the throne tiptoe a little, so I guessed the emperor was whispering to his advisor.

"Please rise," he said.

"Thank you, Heika-sama," we chorused sweetly, then got to our feet, poising our necks like swans.

There he was on the throne. The most handsome man I'd ever seen (with my background, actually, I didn't get to see a lot of them).

His gold eyes flitted disinterestedly from Hiromi, to Aki, to Yanagida. I looked at him intently, wondering how he seemed so familiar. Then it came to me...

I drew in a sharp breath, which was conspicuous in the silence of the room. Everyone turned to look at me, and I bit my lip and looked down, barely noticing the wry smile on the face of the 'emperor'. "I'm sorry..." I muttered under my breath.

"About what?" an old voice asked. How did he hear me? I couldn't help but look up... to see *the* white-haired advisor - the one who had found me out at the examination. I gasped again, but quickly lowered my head, hoping he wouldn't recognise me...

"I... I'm sorry about disturbing the court because I -" As I was saying this, the eyes of Madam Niyodo and the rest of the girls were boring into me incredulously. The guards looked very frightened and I couldn't speak anymore. I just cleared my throat and resumed perching my head up, glad to still have it.

When the emperor's gaze fell on me like it had the other day, I gave him my best pleading look. I _had_ to be allowed to go into the North Court. Or I'd be stuck in the South Court for the rest of my young life.

"Madam Niyodo, I'll try the red, purple and yellow,"the emperor said, choosing us by the colour we were wearing.

Hiromi smirked. My chest heaved a sigh of relief. Fumiko grinned, but when she saw Harushi, her face fell. I knew it must be hard on both of them.

"Hiromi, Kiku, Fumiko!" Madam Niyodo called. "Stand here. The rest, follow me to the South Court."

"Wait. Leave the purple in the court and send the other two to their room first," the emperor added. I was a little indignant that I was to be known by the colour I was wearing.

"Certainly, Heika-sama," the old woman said with a spark in her eye. She probably thought that he'd taken a fancy to me. I thought he was going to punish me for speaking in court.

After she was gone, the emperor asked his guards to leave the room, and spoke to his advisor, "I don't know why Madam Niyodo keeps trying to find me a bride."

"She doesn't know," the old man said softly.

"I hate this," the emperor went on as if I weren't here. "Even after all the signs have shown, no one believes us; no one will help us find her."

"But you *are* the *emperor*, Heika," his advisor smiled.

The emperor sighed. "They don't think I'm mature enough."

I felt like saying, 'I know what you mean', but of course I wouldn't say it aloud.

Then the emperor broke out of his 'trance' and saw me. "Thank you, advisor. I'm sure you have work to do, so you may leave us." I averted my gaze from the old man while he hurriedly left.

"Come up here," he beckoned gently.

Uncertain of my steps, I gingerly walked up. I didn't know what possessed me, but I initiated the conversation. "Heika-sama, I didn't mean to mistake you for a woman..."

"It's okay, I know how beautiful I am..."

Well, it was nice to know he had self-confidence. And it wasn't an exaggeration.

"I'm glad I got to know you a little that day," he added. "You have a kind heart."

"Thank you, Heika-sama."

"So... what is your name? I'd hate to keep calling you 'purple', 'purple'."

I laughed. "My sentiments exactly. Well, my name is Kiku (chrysanthemum), but I actually hate anything to do with chrysanthemums; the tea or the flower." I usually asked people to call me Ki-chan, but he was the emperor. I couldn't treat him like my elder brother.

"I'm glad we cleared this up, Kiku," he smiled. I couldn't help but smile back. He was gorgeous.

"Now then, girls," Madam Ninjin announced, "you may go around anywhere but the South Court, but if Heika-sama needs a favour of you, you must help him."

At this, Hiromi and Fumiko began giggling insanely. I knew what they were thinking that 'favour' was.

"He seems pretty decent, ne?" I said in a word of defence.

"We'll see," Hiromi smiled, that confident glint in her eye.


	3. The Test of Suzaku no Miko

Sister to Miko Chapter Three

Sister to Miko

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Chapter Three: The Test of Suzaku no Miko

*Hotohori*

"Heika-sama!" a young guard rushed in, bowing. I recognised him as my recently appointed Head Patrol Guard. There had been a lot of controversy, seeing as how inexperienced he was. I suppose I had let him take the position because of my personal prejudice against age discrimination...

"What is it, Head Patrol Guard?"

"There is a girl at the door, saying she is Suzaku no Miko."

"That's great! We haven't been announcing this publicly or anything, have we?"

"No, Heika-sama."

"Good. Then she probably is telling the truth." I rushed to put on my robes; I wanted to leave a good impression on Suzaku no Miko...

As I was heading for the main entrance, a loud gong sounded, not unlike the bedtime gong for the trial concubines. It was the jailbreak gong.

A flurry of guards dashed past me, one of them telling me to stay where I was in case it was a trap. I sighed and sat on a rock, reminding me of the day I met that girl... Kiku, was it? Ah, things had been getting exciting these days, after that boring year. My first batch of trial concubines (father had had them being picked out annually by Madam Niyodo for Suzaku knows how long, but I put my foot down to that law, saying I would choose for myself), Suzaku no Miko's appearance and now my first jailbreak for a year.

Just then, I saw a young girl (she looked a little younger than Kiku) in indecent brown clothes running along. Remembering how Kiku had been fooled, I decided to act like a woman again.

She seemed nice but was flustered, and after exchanging a few words I had a strange notion that she was Suzaku no Miko.

Suddenly, we were surrounded by guards, disrupting my little masquerade and I was forced to reveal I was the emperor. The girl's big eyes flew open in shock, and she pressed her hands against my chest! Everyone sweatdropped.

"Uh, Miaka?" a young man with teal blue hair stepped into the scene uncertainly.

"Tamahome, she's a man!" the young girl exclaimed. Tamahome? I had read the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho, the book of destiny, and Tamahome was the name of one of the Suzaku shichiseishi.

"Capture them!" the Head Patrol Guard called. Tamahome settled into a fighting stance, defensive of Miaka. As he fought off the guards single-handedly, I could only watch in awe... I knew that I had found a seishi. The red symbol '鬼' flared up on his forehead.

"Stop!" I commanded, halting the men in their tracks. Tamahome punched one more guard and turned towards me. "Suzaku shichiseishi Tamahome, we mean you no harm. Let's discuss this peacefully in the room."

"But Heika-sama, they were supposed to be in jail -"

"I'll handle it."

"Wai!" Miaka cheered innocently. Tamahome followed, but was much more wary and held his body as a shield to protect Miaka even as he walked.

"Call for my advisor urgently," I whispered to a soldier. In no time, the old man hurried to his place beside me. He was like a father to me, always with the right things to say. Kounan would have been a pile of rubble if not for him helping me.

"So, how did you end up in jail?" I asked.

"We were going to tell you that we had found the Suzaku no Miko," Tamahome began. "I believe Miaka is she."

"I was transported here by a book," Miaka said, her big brown eyes pleading at me. "The Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho. I am from a world in the future."

"Give me a moment to narrate the events of the past ten minutes to my advisor," I told them, then informed my advisor of Tamahome's symbol etc.

"We clearly need a logical person to deduce the truth right now," he pondered aloud (he always did that), "and I know one person who is superb at that, and on hand right now. You'll have to trust me on this one, Heika."

Just then, the Head Patrol Guard rushed in. "The other girl claiming to be Suzaku no Miko is still outside, Heika-sama." Now things were getting confusing.

"Bring her in, Head Patrol Guard. And advisor, please get that person to court."

Tamahome was impatient, I could tell. And Miaka... if this was Suzaku no Miko, the love of my life... Suzaku no Miko was a dream for me; the person worthy of my love. This girl was indeed beautiful. Probably not as beautiful as the trial concubine 'red', but a little prettier than Kiku. Kiku? In my thoughts, I vaguely heard her voice, "My respects to you, Heika-sama."

"Heika-sama!" my advisor gently tapped me on the shoulder and I saw that two more girls were now kneeling in front of me. One was in purple - Kiku. So it _hadn't_ been in my thoughts. The other was dressed in garish clothing, with many-coloured hair. The 'other' Suzaku no Miko.

"Uh, advisor," I knitted my eyebrows, "where is that person who can deduce the truth?" He looked at me like I was six years old. "Kiku?"

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*Kiku*

I just knelt there foolishly, staring straight ahead at our emperor, who seemed to be a little dazed. I could only register the presence of the advisor and the emperor, and only one train of thought was going through my head: the old man knows! The old man remembers me! He called me Keiji!

Then I heard a voice to my side and couldn't help turning my head. A handsome young man with long blue hair had scoffed at the young lady with bad dress sense, "_You_ think you're Suzaku no Miko?" and the half-naked girl with two buns for hair was laughing.

"Kiku, come up here," the emperor said.

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*Miaka*

The beautiful emperor beckoned the lavender-clad young girl up. I still couldn't get over the fact that I had mistaken him for a woman. Tamahome was still teasing the other girl who claimed to be Suzaku no Miko. For a moment I doubted I was, but I knew that Tamahome was my seishi, and he would protect me. Therefore I was Suzaku no Miko.

I watched the lavender-clad girl who looked about my age. She was wise, definitely.


	4. Hail Suzaku no Miko

Sister to Miko Chapter Four

Sister to Miko

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Chapter Four: Hail Suzaku no Miko

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*Kiku*

"Heika-sama," I turned to him respectfully, "will you permit me to question and test them? And promise me that no matter what I do, you cannot punish me? I swear that I will not do harm to anything," I said truthfully.

He looked suspiciously at me, then gave a sigh of resignation. "Hai, do whatever it takes without harming them."

"Please step forward, Misses," I told the young ladies. "What are your names?"

The girl in colourful clothing said her name was Arvn, and the one in brown with two hair buns said she was Miaka.

"Both of you claim to be from a different world, am I right?" They nodded.

"And both of you have learnt the language of this world?" Arvn nodded, but Miaka looked as if she was about to say something. "Wait, don't say anything," I stopped her. "One last question: do you know how to write in your native language?" They both nodded.

"Heika-sama, may I ask for some items?" The emperor nodded his approval, probably curious as to what I was going to do. I whispered the needed items to a soldier and he hastily went to get them.

Finally, the two desks were set up and the screen set between them. On the desks were writing paper, a brush and an inkpot.

"In your native language, write about your world, and how you came here," I instructed both of them. After about an hour, they were both done. I picked up Arvn's first and asked her to translate it into Chinese.

"My world has green meadows everywhere, and phoenixes and unicorns and dragons, and everything is very colourful. The houses there are the same as the ones here. One day, I was riding on a pink unicorn when it suddenly spoke. It asked if I wanted to go to another world to play. I said yes, and it brought me here. I landed in the streets and a kind old couple adopted me. They thought I was the Suzaku no Miko and sent me here."

"Thank you. Now Miaka."

Miaka stood up nervously. I spotted the young man give her an encouraging smile as she began, "I come from the future, I think, because there I'm from the country China in my world too. The writing we do in the future China is the same as your writing in Kounan, only it has been simplified over the years. The future China is very modern, and there are a lot of new appliances and inventions that have made life very easy. There are lights that will turn on at the press of a button during the day *or* the night, and machines that will move without an animal pulling it. Girls are allowed to go to school and most of the children in the future China go to school. There are many libraries where we can read books to learn more. My friend and I were sucked into a book called the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho in the middle of reading it and we met Tamahome," she turned to smile at the young man so I assumed he was Tamahome. "Soon my friend and I both went back, and a few days we spent in Kounan were only an hour in the future. Then I came back to Kounan alone. Now I'm here."

I thought for a while. Arvn's story sounded like a fairy tale I could've written when I was eight. Now you know my secret? Yes, I can write. Since I was seven, I disguised as a boy to study. My mother only had three daughters, and believed in girls going to school. So she risked her head to get us educated...

"Kiku?" The emperor interrupted my thoughts in his gentle voice.

"Gomen, Heika-sama, let me think for a moment."

Miaka's world sounded more realistic, although I wasn't sure about the lights that went on at the press of a button or the animal-less machines. Too farfetched... Then I began thinking of the second test. How could I test them so I would know if they _were_ lying?

Five minutes later, I had the answer.

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"Okay, now the second test. Pass me your scripts." They both did so.

"I will test Arvn first. Miaka, please go into a room. Can a guard follow her to make sure she cannot hear anything? Oh, and Tamahome must go in too, or he might send her a message or something. Safety precaution," I explained to the emperor, Miaka and Tamahome. Damn, I still couldn't control my blushes when in the presence of the incredibly good-looking Suzaku seishi.

Once they were in the room, I marked out one of the first sentences of her script and made Arvn read it aloud. I took note of the sounds and wrote the Chinese version of it (connoting the sounds) down on another piece of writing paper. Then I marked out another sentence and asked her to read it. I did this until I had noted down ten sentences.

I was scared at first, to blatantly show that I was literate, but I told myself that the emperor would keep his promise and not arrest me. The old advisor was smiling approvingly.

"Please read this sentence out," I told her. She stared at it intensely, trying to remember which one it was she had said, and soon I spotted tears brimming in her eyes. I knew she had been lying. She turned to the emperor and kow-towed; asking for mercy and banging her forehead on the marble until it bled.

"Wipe off the blood and take her away," I told a guard. When the emperor turned a questioning gaze to me, I told him, "I have to make sure the other one is real too."

I repeated the exercise with Miaka and realised that the words she had written were really simplified versions of our Chinese words. Some of the pronunciations were also different, but she managed to read out all eleven sentences exactly as she had the first time round.

"So you really are from another world. And you are willing to be Suzaku no Miko?" The emperor asked kindly. He had a glazed look in his eyes, but I was too exhausted from the three and a half hours of terrible mental strain to really wonder why.

"Heika-sama, may I please sit down -" I suddenly felt strangely dizzy and almost collapsed onto the floor. Fortunately, Tamahome and Miaka caught hold of me.

"Kiku, are you alright?" The emperor asked.

"Let me sit down," I said, and the Head Patrol Guard helped me to a chair at the side of the court.

"I will be Suzaku no Miko," Miaka said with a tone of determination in her voice. I could tell she was just being brave in the heat of the moment, because her inexperience gave her away. But as long as she was willing to learn, she probably would do fine.

"This is Suzaku no Miko! The saviour of our country! Let us all pay our respects!" the emperor announced grandly. All the guards present fell to their knees, and I quickly scrambled off my chair to do the same.

"Hail Suzaku no Miko! Hail Suzaku no Miko! Hail Suzaku no Miko!"


	5. For Every Crime, A Punishment

Sister to Miko

Sister to Miko

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Chapter Five: For Every Crime, A Punishment

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*Miaka*

"She's not Suzaku no Miko! I could've written that story in my sleep! Don't let her..." I froze as Kiku thrashed around in her bed. Did she not approve of me being chosen? But I relaxed when I heard her say next, "Unicorns will never exist! How can you believe her..." Kiku sat up in a cold sweat.

When she registered that the emperor Hotohori, Tamahome and I were by her bed, she asked, "did I fall asleep in the middle of the festival?"

The poor girl had passed out before the end of the festival.

"*Fainted*, more likely," Tamahome snorted. Oh, he was being his mean self again. The one that everyone saw, not his tender self that surfaced when he was with me.

"You really were too tired," Hotohori said.

"You mustn't fall ill, Ki-chan," I added.

"Uh, thank you all, but I think I'm fine. I guess it's just that I'm really not used to staying up so late. Too used to the six o' clock rule." Oh yes, one of the concubines had told me about that. Hiromi, was it?

The emperor smiled knowingly. "Would nine be better?"

"Thank you, Heika-sama!" she got on her knees on the bed and bowed. We all gasped.

"Kiku! Don't do that when you're not well! If you move from your position again I'll make it five!" he exclaimed.

"I'll get back into bed! I won't budge an inch!" she scrambled back under the covers.

I was laughing heartily and a reluctant smile crept upon Tamahome's face. Now that's my handsome seishi.

"Will you give me a moment?" the emperor turned to Tamahome and I.

"Of course, Hotohori," I bowed, and the two of us retreated. Meanwhile I wondered what they would talk about. Kiku was really strange. In there she'd seemed so like her age, but yet I'd heard from a guard that she hadn't even blinked when the other girl, Arvn, had bled on the throne room floor. How could anyone be so heartless?

*Kiku*

The smile faded from my face once Suzaku no Miko and Tamahome turned their backs. If the emperor noticed this, he didn't show it.

"It's about me writing, isn't it?" I finally asked. Even though I'd never known anyone else who spoke up as much as I did, it didn't stop me from doing so.

"Boku... boku wa..." he cleared his throat twice but didn't continue.

"...am bound to my word but cannot let you continue writing?" I finished.

"Not exactly -"

"Does this mean I can keep on writing?" I asked hopefully.

"Well, yes, as long as you don't tell *everybody*," he nodded. "But, well..."

"Yes, Heika-sama?"

"Hotohori please."

"I can't, Heika-sama!" I shook my head in fear. "What were you going to say?" I added, indicating the subject was closed.

"Forgive me for being blunt, but you and my advisor seem to know something that I don't."

Oh. *That*.

"Um, last year, does Heika-sama remember there being a scandal in the Imperial Examinations?"

"Of the second Imperial scholar being a boy? Why yes, but he escaped, so I never got to see -" he stopped, finally understanding.

"Shigetoshi Keiji? That was you?"

"Hai," I nodded slowly, for the first time in my life not daring to raise my eyes to meet someone else's. I didn't want to see the horror on his face. "I'm sorry, Heika-sama. I didn't mean to keep it from you - I didn't even know I'd be here - I was kidnapped."

There was an awful, awkward silence.

"For every crime, a punishment," he said finally. I closed my eyes serenely.

"Since you've come here with all this talent- why don't you become my assistant advisor?" Shocked, I looked up at that boyish face beaming down at me.

"I... you... you mean that? Of course, Heika-sama! It would be my greatest honour!"

As I kow-towed to him, I suddenly remembered my father. Oh dear, this would get difficult.

*Hiromi*

"Kiku has become the what?" I roared at the frightened servant girl, my fist landing with a crash on the table.

"Anou... Hiromi-sama..." she whimpered, practically in tears.

"Leave!" the girl didn't need me to tell her twice and hurriedly dashed out of my room.

Damn the gods, Kiku and her sly methods, pretending not to be interested in the emperor but...

"Chikushou," I growled. I knew it would be disastrous if anyone heard, but I was too angry to care. So the emperor liked those who played innocent, huh?


	6. Suzaku Shichi Seishi Nuriko

Sister to Miko

Sister to Miko

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Chapter Six: Suzaku Shichi Seishi Nuriko

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

*Hotohori*

"Court commences in ten minutes, Heika-sama," my advisor informed me. He was going to attend court for a few times in case Kiku didn't know what to do, but after that I would let him retire – he had served my father and I well for a few decades.

I looked over at Kiku. She was fidgeting.

"Are the robes uncomfortable? It's only temporary."

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

*Kiku*

He thought I was uncomfortable because of the court robes?

Well, I couldn't tell him about my father, but I didn't want to lie either, so I just said, "I… guess I'm just nervous."

"Oh," he said, his expression relaxing.

Just then, Hiromi came waltzing in. "Heika-sama, you shouldn't frown! It might… *gasp* leave wrinkles!"

"Nani?!" the emperor darted faster than lightning (which I was amazed at because of the heavy, restricting robes he was wearing) over to the enlarging mirror on one of his many mirror-laden desks. "No wrinkle. Yokatta."

"Heika-sama could never get wrinkles," Hiromi cooed, sidling up to him. "Have some grapes."

"May I be excused for a while, Heika-sama?" I asked. He nodded, barely hearing me as Hiromi fussed over him.

I stepped outside in the fresh (as fresh as possible when we were isolated from the surrounding environment) air and tried to think how I could disguise myself so Father wouldn't notice me – I didn't want to go back because here, people finally appreciated my wits. Then it came to me.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

*Hotohori*

The guards lining each side of the court began tapping the end of their wooden poles on the floor in a rhythm. "Court rise!" (This is a direct translation from Mandarin, the author's mother tongue)

"Long live the Emperor!" the village leaders droned from their kneeling position.

"Please rise," I told them, then to my advisor, "Where's Kiku?"

He bowed apologetically.

Just then, a figure in dark purple rushed hurriedly over. I coughed delicately. "Kiku?"

"Y-yes, Heika-sama?" she asked nervously. Adjusting the very obviously *male* robes she had changed into.

"Anou… your clothes…"

"Um, I thought it would be better if I came here disguised, Heika-sama. You know, how women should not be literate and everything."

"Ahem." My advisor cleared his throat, indicating that we should get down to business.

We did.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

*Kiku*

"Heika-sama…" I couldn't resist breaking the silence of just our tired feet padding down the corridor.

He looked at me wearily, and a little strangely. Oh yeah, it was this disguise. I decided to wear it all the time so everyone'd get used to it, and there'd be less chance of Father finding me by accident. He hadn't been at the village leader meeting today, but sooner or later I'd have to meet him, and he would have to see me.

"How do you manage to face that every day? I mean, it's all such unimportant matters! And you're still so patient with them…"

"It's my duty."

Just then, Miaka came racing up to us. "Hotohori! Ki-chan (cute costume)! Would you like to join Tamahome and me to see this new shop that opened? It has lovely gifts and toys!" I didn't miss the longing look in the beautiful emperor's eyes, but then the flash of guilt.

"Heika-sama, why don't you go?" I asked softly.

"I… duty calls. There is another court session tomorrow, and it can't do for me to tire."

Miaka pouted. "Ne, Hotohori. Can't you have fun for a change? How about you, Ki-chan?" She turned to me with wobbling, pleading eyes.

I hated socialising and going out and having superficial fun. It was all so meaningless! "Okay," I practically choked out. It was only for the Miko's sake – she must be bored cooped up in the palace all day long. *No*, I told myself, it's *not* because you have a crush on Tamahome.

"Subarashii!" Miaka bounced up and down. "Hotohori, we promise we'll bring her back early for the court session!"

"Alright then. It concerns more important matters this time, Kiku, so hopefully you won't be so bored."

I would have reflected on his thoughtfulness, but the teal-haired object of my, and unfortunately, also Miaka's, affections strode up to us. "You will not be joining us, Heika?" Tamahome asked in his pleasant voice. I could get lost in it, if not for the fact that it was the genki Miko he was fondly gazing at. Not me.

"Well, let me change out of these dark robes and I'll join you in a few minutes," I said quietly, wondering why Miaka wanted the Heika and I to come along and play gooseberry. Could it be that she liked the green-haired seishi?

"Kawaii!" Miaka exclaimed for what must have been the thirtieth time that night, dumping another armful of toys into Tamahome's arms.

"Mou! Must you buy so many of the same figurines?" the young man screwed up his nose in distaste. I was glad to be wearing my scarf, so neither of the happy couple could see me watching them longingly. What was I longing for? Tamahome? Or just a love as sweet as theirs?

"Ne, bishounen," a feminine voice drawled huskily into my ear. "What are you doing in a child's shop?"

I turned to see a beautiful purple-haired girl grinning at me. I was about to royally freak out until I remembered I was still in men's clothing. Practice, I had told Miaka and *Tamahome* earlier. They were grateful to me for helping them get the Suzaku no Miko discovered, and believed my lie about not wanting to get into trouble for being a literate female.

"Hidoi yo," the purple-haired girl pouted.

I groaned. When I was dressed as a girl, no boy showed interest in me. But suddenly, after only a few hours of wearing men's clothes, I got picked up by a girl. It was a sick world. And a sick fate.

Just then, there was a loud crash.

"The pillar!" someone yelled.

"Miaka!" came a *very* familiar voice.

"Miaka?" I called, running towards the cloud of smoke and dust from the fallen pillar.

"Tamahome! Kiku! Tasukete!"

"Kimi no baka yarou!" Tamahome was shaking his fist at the shop owner.

"Gomen nasai! Hontou ni gomen nasai!" the middle-aged man was kow-towing to him, apologising profusely. "We did not know… that it would topple so soon!"

"You disgust me!" the angry young man spat, then attempted to lift the pillar that was crushing Miaka's legs, his seishi symbol flaring furiously. I recovered quickly from my shock at his rudeness, and moved to help too.

"Shitsurei," came a familiar voice. I turned to see the purple-haired young woman making her way through the crowd. "Yare yare, this is too easy!" With a flick of her wrist, the whole pillar was reduced to dust! She must have had immense internal energy!

Miaka was staring dazedly at the young woman. "Ryuu… the sign of the willow. Suzaku shichi seishi Nuriko!"


End file.
